To Death and Back
by emmals16
Summary: Brook was practically immortal- everyone else couldn't say the same. After decades apart, Brook finds them like they once found him.


**(Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any related characters.)**

* * *

 ** _"Unending Love_**

 _ **I seem to have loved you in numberless forms, numberless times..."**_

 _(Reaching Raftel came at a higher price than any of them could have considered. The promise of never losing again lasted even on that final day.)_

Zoro was the first to be found, 84 years after the fact.

He _was_ the first, after all. The first to join— the first to return after two years apart— the first to leave them forever.

Brook had seen them all leave the world behind, but Zoro's departure was the most jarring. The most sudden and the most impactful, it seemed. He was the one who made death become an old friend for all of them.

Yet, here he was.

Brook, even after 84 years wandering alone, could recognize the steely glimmer in his eyes. He looked different. His skin— darker. His hair— black. His eyes— a cold grey. His demeanor, however, was the same. The way his back was constantly tense with alertness. The way his eyes flicked between potential enemies like he was a beast prepared to rip the world asunder simply for looking at him the wrong way— yet a passive indifference was present as well.

He was found in a dark alleyway on a cold winter island far in the South Blue. Ripped clothes, bloodied fists, and a downed opponent. Money was being handed to him in a wad of crumpled bills when Brook finally recognized whom he was looking at, and the young boy was already passing by when Brook allowed himself to believe the possibility.

On silent feet, Brook followed him. Through crowds of the starved and markets haunted by famine. And, he only came to a stop when the boy in front of him did.

Beneath a shabby tent made from ripped cloths sat four other young children: one sick, another too young, another reclusive, and the last too far gone. This boy, Zoro, threw the entire wad of money at their feet, merely glancing at the collection of weary faces before he seemed to sense Brook.

Brook only regarded the cold and protective gaze with a little laugh. He had seen that face far too often 84 years prior, and one last time did nothing but warm him— even if the violent eyes were turned to him as a target.

This Zoro was just as viciously calm as his previous life had been.

Brook tentatively set the small scrap of paper with his name on it on the ground before walking away.

 ** _"In life after life, in age after age, forever._  
**  
 _M **y spellbound heart has made and remade the necklace of**_ **songs** _ **,"**_

 _(Ironic that the cook would die from starvation to prevent his crew from suffering the same fate— a promise to a stupid captain and swordsman hanging over his head.)_

Sanji was the second.

After learning of his nakama's possible return to the world, Brook found another purpose in his life. He searched— long hours of every day and night, trying to find clues as to where they could possibly be.

 _Who_ they could possibly be.

Sanji was found on the same winter island as Zoro, a homeless shelter to his back and a squadron of marines to his front. He was older— much older than Zoro and much older than he had been in his previous life as well.

"You can't just hand out free food."

"Why the Hell not?"

Brook watched silently as the marines attempted to shut down what was apparently a sanctuary to the weak and weary of the island, wincing when the octave's of both sides rose significantly. Marines clutched at guns and this Sanji merely stared with a disapproving glare.

In a blur, one of the marines were shoved roughly to the ground, a small form seeming to be the culprit. Brook wasn't even surprised to see who it was.

The marines scattered when more men and women went to back up this Sanji and Zoro, cursing something about their orders not to kill or harm anyone. Brook watched them go, stepping closer to his two formerly lost nakama.

"You idiot," this Sanji grumbled in his low voice, grey hair swooping into his eyes, "You're going to get yourself killed one of these days."

This Zoro mumbled something before replying snottily, "Get off my back, old man."

"Whatever," Brook didn't miss the way this Sanji set a gentle hand on Zoro's shoulder, "come get some food, you twerp."

Brook left a small scrap of paper on the doormat of the shelter minutes after everyone had been ushered inside.

 _ **"That you take as a gift, wear round your neck in your many forms,** _

_**In life after life, in age after age, forever.** _

_**Whenever I hear old chronicles of love, it's age old pain,** _

_**It's ancient tale of being apart or together."**_

 _(With Chopper gone, a particularly simple wound went from fine to terrible. Metal limbs could, evidently, be just as much a detriment as a benefit.)_

Franky was found floating in the middle of the ocean— a huge yacht holding tons of scrap metal and junk. No neat contraptions. No flashy weapons, and, when Brook approached on the Sunny Go, no recognition crossed his face.

"Hey!" Franky yelled from his small boat, "You wanna buy some fireworks."

Brook was surprised, and he feels that, if he still had skin on his face, it would be wrinkled in a judgmental grimace.

"No, thank you!"

"Aw, c'mon!" this Franky tries to persuade, young face illuminated with slight humor and slight mockery, "They're pretty _super~_ "

Typical of Franky, Brook thinks, when denied a flashy personality or body, he'd find something in the world just as flashy to replace them.

Brook leaves the area of ocean with an addition of multiple fireworks and a subtraction of another scrap of paper.

 _ **"As I stare on and on into the past, in the end you emerge,  
**_  
 _ **Clad in the light of a pole-star, piercing the darkness of time.  
**_  
 _ **You become an image of what is remembered forever."**_

 _(Was the last one to go before Usopp. Brook believes that heartbreak can be as worthy a killer as any weapon.)_

Nami was found 3 years after that, on a sunny island filled with laughter and light.

A festival; a celebration of the death of the last Pirate King.

Brook has to drag himself off of Sunny when he sees the posters— reads the signs and banners and schedules lining every wall— glances at the wanted posters of everyone he had loved and lost in such a short amount of time decades before hand.

He doubted any of his former crew would be there.

He was wrong.

Nami looked fairly similar in comparison to the others he had found 3 years beforehand. She had blond hair, freckles, and tattoos lining every inch of visible skin excluding her face.

She was discovered at a booth of her own— paints and brushes and canvases lining every surface and paint littering the wood making up the stall. Brook slid to a stop outside of the booth, glancing inside to see _her_ painting a customer. Just as she once drew out maps of islands and seas, she now drew out and painted the complexions of clients with colors of great variety.

The costumer when skipping out of the booth, and in the break between them and a new buyer, Brook watched her pull out an already halfway painted canvas— a very familiar face on it.

"That is very beautiful, miss." Brook mumbled almost nervously, and doesn't miss the way this Nami practically jumps off of her stool— so focused on filling in the gaps of her painting. She turns around frantically, locking eyes with Brook— and she pales.

"I know you."

Brook almost feels relieved until he remembers his wanted poster hanging off practically every wall in the town. No doubt others have recognized him as well. He takes this realization in stride, not fearing any marines that may show up.

This Nami settles back onto her stool, the canvas covered in a painting of Luffy sitting behind her with rays of light drizzling it.

"Don't worry," she mumbles, glancing around as though she'd be sniped for conversing with him, "This town may hate _them_ , but I don't."

And, as Brook sets down a piece of paper and scurries away, this Nami quickly says, "They seem like they were kind, so you're secret's safe with me."

 _ **"You and I have floated here on the stream that brings from the fount.** _

_**At the heart of time, love of one for another."**_

 _(Lived long as a brave warrior of the sea; left the ship one day near the end and never came back.)_

Usopp would have been missed if it hadn't been for Brook being swooped into the same shelter as him and the entire village. Pirate attack— marine opposition.

Some things never changed.

A light tone of voice, one both gentle and terrified, echoed through the silent compound to a group of shaken children. It belonged to a young woman, tan skin and frazzled hair swooping around her head in light brown loops. Brook only recognized her for who she once was by the way she overcame her fear and wove a tale for all the children to hide their fear in.

The woman told a story of pirates and a village long kept in peace until it was finally threatened by what was once thought to be a close friend. The story continued until the doors were finally opened and everyone was alerted to the threat being gone.

Brook allowed for the children to walk away before slipping the paper into a startled Usopp's hand and walking out after the other villagers.

 _ **"We have played along side millions of lovers,  
**_  
 _ **Shared in the same shy sweetness of meeting,  
**_  
 _ **the distressful tears of farewell,  
**_  
 _ **Old love but in shapes that renew and renew forever."**_

 _(A devil fruit that creates extra limbs could not stop bullets like rubber could.)_

Robin was found at a time Brook hadn't expected to find any of them— yet he should have expected the place to be somewhere Robin of the previous life would have enjoyed being. A year after finding Usopp, Brook stepped into a quaint diner on a quiet island and sat beside a dark haired man with thick glasses on his nose. A skinny face, thin wrists, and black coffee.

"I recognize you," he had said, and Brook became startled when he came to look the man in the eyes, "It makes sense you're still alive— though not many people have seen you these last couple years, have they?"

Brook says nothing, and feels his missing heart clench as the man subtly rests his head on his clasped hands, a knowing look he recognizes far too well crossing the man's features, "What has you wandering to this part of the sea? The East Blue is hardly what the Grand Line is."

And the answer is easier to say than Brook could have imagine, "I've been looking for you."

The small piece of paper Brook sets on the counter between their cups of coffee quivers towards him after his hand has left it. The man slowly picks up the scrap of paper, examining it as a strange and relieved look crosses his face.

"I have always felt like something was missing…"

 _ **"Today it is heaped at your feet, it has found its end in you** _

_**The love of all man's days both past and forever:"**_

 _(Old age came to a deer at around 21 years, despite any type of devil fruit. The crew found this out the hard way.)_

Chopper was discovered in the midst of a catastrophe— on a small island in the middle of the Grand Line where an earthquake had destroyed half the infrastructure and killed half of the residents.

Brook had arrived after the natural disaster, and his instincts told him that he should look in the hospital. After all— a caring soul would be where the most care was needed, regardless of occupation.

Despite that mindset, Brook came to find the young doctor he knew to be much more similar to this Chopper than could be possible.

Brook found a young boy, brown wavy hair and dark eyes, running around the hospital in nurse scrubs— if Brook looked closer, he could also read the name tag with a label saying 'Medical Student'.

The concentrated look in the young boy's eyes, the sweat decorating his forehead as he struggled against the pain thrashing through a patient's body, and the steady hands was all Brook had to see before he handed the scrap of paper to a frantic nurse and walked out of the hospital.

He ignored the calls of, "Oh my God, he's already a skeleton!" and so on. He had found his doctor, that's all he needed.

 _ **"Universal joy, universal sorrow, universal life."**_

 _(In a world where the Pirate King couldn't be brought to his knees by any force, he ended up having his journey stopped by a simple, incurable illness and a breath that just wouldn't come.)_

Luffy had found him.

On a rainy island 4 years after Chopper where dozens of former slaves were being released to be reintroduced to life outside of servitude.

Brook hadn't meant to stumble upon that island. He hadn't meant to cause panic for the revolutionaries and freed slaves alike. He hadn't meant to threaten the safety of everyone there, and yet he found himself in the line of fire of four separate revolutionaries— each of them preparing to fire if he even twitched.

Yet, someone stopped it.

A small girl, dark hair swooping down her back in wet ringlets and wide eyes looking up to Brook's empty sockets. Scrape marks littered her wrists and neck from where shackles once were locked. She ignored the way the revolutionaries shouted at her to _move_ and _get away from it_ — him. Brook suddenly felt at peace as the little girl turned to face the revolutionaries and refused to move no matter what.

The revolutionaries left it alone— somehow falling into the trust this little girl emanated off of her.

They were left alone, the rain bouncing off of them as the coldness of the ocean caused them both to shiver.

"I always wanted to see the ocean," the little girl said, turning away from Brook to gaze at the waves crashing upon the shore only meters away from where they stood, "One day, can you take me to sea with you?"

Brook knows, had he been physically able to, he would have had hot tears streaming down his face at that moment.

"Of course," he responds immediately, "Any day, any time."

The girl simply smiled the widest smile Brook had seen in too long and walked away from him towards two other forms calling for her in the distance— taller, older, but Brook understood who they were immediately.

Through chains, brands, and slavery, Luffy had come back to him.

After 91 years, Brook felt alive once again; and so he waited for his nakama to, on their own accord, come back to him and the captain he swore he'd follow to the death and back.

 _ **"The memories of all loves merging with this one love of ours -**_

 _ **And the**_ **songs** _ **of every poet past and forever."**_

* * *

 **Poem by Rabindranath Tagore**

 **I read this poem in my free time and I just thought that it would be a beautiful song from a Brook-Strawhat Pirates perspective. That, coupled with the fact that I had been wanting to do a death-reincarnation fic for a long time, I came up with this!**

 **Also, in case anyone is confused about some of the choices made when it comes to how I showed the crew being portrayed in a reincarnated life- I researched a lot of beliefs pertaining to reincarnation before writing this because I wanted to make it my own instead of a fic where the characters act and look exactly how they do in the main story line.**

 **Reincarnation is about the soul/spirit of that person- not the physical form. Meaning that a male can be a female in a different life or vice-versa, an African American person can be Hispanic in a different life, or a naturally laid back person can be a ball of stress in another life.**

 **The main thing I wanted to keep in every reincarnated form of the characters is the fact that they are kind in their own ways. Zoro is protective, Nami is understanding, Usopp is brave when others are afraid, etc, etc.**

 **So, even missing many of the recognizable traits they posses in the canon story, they retained the one trait that mattered.**

 **Anyways, enough of my rambling!**

 **I hope you all enjoy!**

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